Shielded electric connector



March 3, 1959 J. c. COLE ETAL 2,876,274

SHIELDED ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Filed March 30, 1956 I l I I I I I JINVENTORS.

2/ JUDSON C. COLE.

JAMES R. HALL ATTORNEY.

United States PatentO SHIELDED ELECTRIC CUNNECTGR Judson C. Cole,Sidney, and James R. Hall, Unadilla Township, N. Y., assignors to BendixAviation Corporation, Sidney, N. L, a corporation of DelawareApplication March 30, 1956, Serial No. 575,138

16 Claims. (Cl. 17 -77) This invention relates to electrical apparatusand more particularly to wiring assemblies or harnesses embodying radioshielded conductors or cables.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide novel meansfor grounding radio shielding conduits which are enclosed by electricalinsulation in a wiring assembly or harness.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrical wiringassembly embodying shielded conductors and novel means for effecting aground or like connection for the shielding.

The above and further objects and novel features of the presentinvention will more fully appear from the following detail descriptionwhen the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Itis to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for thepurpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of thelimits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section and with parts brokenaway, showing an electrical connector at the terminus 'of one branch ofan'electrical wiring harness;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale illustratingparts of the embodiment of Fig. l in partially assembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a grounding strip; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification.

For purposes of both physical and electrical protection, it has becomecommon practice to suitably enclose electrical wiring by insulation orthe like, particularly at the point where a plurality of conductors froma wiring harness or cable are connected to the terminals of the pin orsocket contacts of an electrical connector. This type of constructionhas introduced the problem of providing a satisfactory and convenientground connection for the metallic radio shielding conduits which maysurround some or all of the conductors. The present invention provides aunique solution to this problem.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, by way of example, oneform of the invention is illustrated in combination with an electricalconnector having a grounded metallic shell ill. Mounted within saidshell is a contact supporting insert 11 which is preferably made ofresilient insulating material and has a compression fit in the shell.The insert is shown as having an annular groove into which a land or rib12 in the shell projects for retaining the insert in the shell. Mountedin and extending through insert 11 are a plurality of either pin orsocket contacts 14 of any known construction. The bared end of aninsulated conductor 15 is connected by soldering or other suitable knownmeans to each of said contacts.

At a short distance from shell the conductors are shown as entering anenclosure sleeve 16 which may 2,375,27d Patented Mar. 3, 1959 be ofinsulating material, such as a plastisol covered fiber glass tube.Between sleeve 16 and shell 10 the conductors 15 and the relativelyfragile connections thereof to contacts 14 are protected and insulatedby being embedded in a molded mass 17 of plastisol or other suitablecompound. Said mass also surrounds and prefrably adheres to an endportion of sleeve 16 and the adjacent end of shell lit. The end portionof sleeve 16 may be radially supported by a short adaptor tube 18 whichmay be made of paper or cardboard. I

In constructions of the type above described, it is not uncommon to haveat least some insulated conductors 15 which are enclosed or sheathed inbraided metal conduits 19. The present invention comprehends novel meansfor connecting these sheaths to ground either through the connectorshell 10 or one of the contacts 14 of the connector. As shown in Figs. 1and 2, each of the sheaths 19 is stripped from that portion of theconductor 15 between sleeve 16 and the contact 14-. The strippedportions 20 are first bent radially outward from the bundle ofconductors l5, and the latter are then bound together by means ofseveral layers or turns of tape 21 which is preferably heat resistant.Fiber glass tape has been found very suitable. The stripped ends 2% ofthe braided wire sheaths are then bent down against the outer surface ofthe tape or other suitable binding 21 and a metallic band 22 is appliedto electrically connect all of said ends 29. The band 22 is preferably afiat strip of tinned copper so that the same may be readily soldered toeach of the ends 20 by the mere momentary application of heat andpressure. The insulated conductors 15 are satisfactorily shielded fromthe heat bythe tape 21.

The band 22 of tinned copper or other suitable metal is in turnconnected to shell 10 by means of a strip or ribbon of metal 23. One endof the latter preferably extends between band 22 and tape 21 and may besoldered or otherwise suitably connected to the band. Although the ends20 and strip 23 are shown superposed in Figs. 1 and 2, the same willgenerally be laid side by side between band 22 and tape 21. T he otherend of strip 23 extends into shell 10 and is pressed into firmelectrical engagement therewith by the resilient insert 11. Said stripmay be suitably bent or contoured to fit over the insert retaining ribor land 12. The exposed portion of strip 23 and band 22 are thenembedded with the conductors 15 in the solid insulating mass 17.

In some installations the connector shell or similar fitting may not begrounded or it may be desirable to ground the shielding 19 other thanthrough the connector shell. In these events the connecting band 22 forthe stripped ends 20 of the shielding conduits 19 is connected by aninsulated conductor 24 to one of the contacts 14, as shown in Fig. 4.The shielding 19 may thus be connected to a suitable ground or the likethrough the half of a plug and socket connector which mates with thehalf illustrated in the drawings in a manner well understood in the art.

There is thus provided a unique and effective ground or similarconnection for the conductor shielding sheaths which terminate short ofand are not otherwise normally connected to a grounded part in a wiringassembly or harness. The invention is particularly useful where theshielding conduits are enclosed in electrical insulation or other sealedenclosure means.

Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and described in detail in the foregoingspecification, it is to be expressly understood that the same is notlimited thereto. For example, other specific types of connectors andcontacts may be used in lieu of those illustrated and described. Variousother changes may also be made in the design and arrangement of theparts illustrated, and materials other than those suggested may be used,without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the samewill now be understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Electrical apparatus comprising a tubular metallic shell, having anannular shoulder therein, a resilient contact supporting insert having acompression fit in said shell, a plurality of contacts supported by saidinsert, an insulated conductor connected to each of a plurality of saidcontacts, a braided wire sheath on at least one of said conductors, anend of said sheath being stripped from said conductor, a strip of tapebinding said conductors together, a metallic band surrounding said tape,said stripped end of said sheath extending between said tape and bandand being electrically connected to the latter, and means electricallyconnecting said band to said shell comprising a metal strap having anend portion pressed between said insert and said shell and contoured tooperatively engage said shoulder.

2. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 1 comprising a solid mass ofelectrical insulation embedding said band, the end portion of saidshell, said last-named connecting means and the connections between saidconductors and contacts.

3. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising a sleevesurrounding said conductors and having the end portion thereof boundedto said mass.

4. Electrical apparatus comprising a group of insulated wires, a braidedmetallic sheath on at least one of said wires, an end of said sheathbeing stripped from said wire, binding means surrounding said group ofwires, and a metallic band surrounding said binding means, said strippedend of the sheath extending between said binding means and band andbeing electrically connected to the latter.

5. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 4 comprising a metallicshell, an insert in said shell, and a conductor electrically connectedto said band and extending between said shell and insert to electricallyconnect said shell and band.

6. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said insert isresilient and has a compression fit in said shell.

7. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 4 comprising a shell, aconnector contact supported in and insulated from said shell, and meatiselectrically connecting said band to said contact.

8. Electrical apparatus comprising a plurality of in sulated conductors,a tape surrounding and binding said conductors in a group, a metallicsheath on at least one of said conductors, an end portion of said sheathoverlying said tape, and a metallic band overlying said end portion ofthe sheath and said tape.

9; Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 8' wherein said sheath is abraided wire conduit.

10. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said band istinned copper and said end portion of the sheath is soldered to theband. 7

11. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said tape is madeof a material, such as fibre glass, having poor heat conductivity.

12. In electrical apparatus, an electrical connector comprising a shell,an insert in said shell and contacts in said insert, insulatedconductors connected to said contacts, metallic sheaths on at least oneof said conductors and terminating short of said contacts, meanselectrically connecting the ends of said sheaths, and a solid mass ofinsulating material embedding an end portion of said shell and the endsof said sheaths.

13. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 12 comprising meansembedded in said mass and electrically connecting said connecting meansfor the sheaths to a contact in said insert.

14. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 12 comprising a conductorembedded in said mass and connecting said sheath connecting means tosaid shell.

15. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said last-namedconductor extends between said shell and insert.

16. Electrical apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said last-namedconductor and said shell comprise me chanically cooperative means tohold the same in assembled relation.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,871,397 Watts Aug. 9, 1932

